Harry Potter and the Phoenix Feather
by RunnerNDA
Summary: This starts like the books, Harry Potter starts his fifth year...please r
1. Fawkes

Harry Potter and the Phoenix Feather  
  
"No…get…away…no…no…NO!" Harry Potter screamed as he jolted   
awake from his dream. His eyes darted around his bedroom, and his breath   
came in short, pitiful gasps. He closed his eyes, trying to get his bearings. He   
tried to calm himself, but his dream had been so frightening! So vivid! And   
worst of all…he knew it could happen.   
  
He sat up in bed and absently rubbed his forehead. He swung his legs   
over the side of his bed and sat there, almost dazed.   
  
How could he have possibly thought that this could happen? His   
sleep-drugged brain must have short-circuited. This would never happen.   
There was no way.   
Draco Malfoy and…Hermione?  
She had been hanging on his arm, laughing evilly, almost cackling,   
about a deed she had just accomplished. Malfoy's eyes were gleaming   
curiously as he begged her to tell him what she'd done. She replied that   
she'd show him. Then she rolled up the left sleeve of her robe.  
The Dark Mark. Newly burned on the inside of her left forearm.   
Voldemort then walked onto the scene, and congratulated Hermione. He   
now had a link to all Mudbloods and…to him. To Harry. Then they'd all   
laughed together.   
He shook his head, trying to clear it of the awful images. There was   
no way that Hermione would go over to the Dark Side. Plus, she would be   
killed before she could declare her intentions to join. Hermione was Muggle-  
born, and that placed her in one of the most hated categories of Death Eaters.  
There was absolutely no way that this could ever, ever happen.  
Suddenly, out of nowhere, he heard a sound that sent chills up and   
down his spine. He had heard it just twice before in his life. Phoenix song.   
He whipped his window up and stuck his head out.   
He saw an enormous red bird floating toward him, its beak curved up   
in a smile. Harry could hardly believe his eyes. It was Fawkes, Professor   
Dumbledore's personal pet. It was carrying something in its beak that looked   
like a letter. The phoenix stopped outside the window and hovered there,   
waiting for Harry to draw his head in so it could enter the room. He did so,   
and the bird swooped in and landed on his bed. Fawkes handed the letter to   
Harry, then waited patiently, watching him.  
Harry ripped open the letter and quickly read it, his emerald eyes   
widening in disbelief, astonishment, and finally, pleasure.  
He, Harry, had been named a prefect! A prefect of Hogwarts School!   
"Now I can legally use that bathroom…" he murmured absently.  
His smile faded very suddenly. He, Harry had been named a prefect.   
A prefect of Hogwarts School.   
One face stood in front of him, scowling in jealousy. Ron. What   
would happen if Ron hadn't been made a prefect? Harry sat down, knowing   
all too well the boundaries of Ron's jealousy. It was exactly that-there were   
no boundaries. Harry hung his head, his eyes staring but seeing nothing but   
Ron's face, twisted into a scowl of jealousy.  
  
  
I know that was terrible. And short. Please review with suggestions for   
improvement.   
  
Diclaimer: I own no one except Maria, who isn't even in the story yet, so   
never mind. But they all belong to the genius of J.K. Rowling.  



	2. The Idea

  
  
  
Part 2  
Draco Malfoy paced around the front hall of his manor, his hands   
clenched behind his back. His face was contorted into a concentrated scowl,   
and his eyes were slightly glazed.  
Lucius Malfoy strolled into the hall, his face dominated by a borad   
smile. "Come, Draco, why all this pacing? There's really no need for it. The   
Dark Lord will take care of that boy eventually. You know it's going to   
happen. Why trouble yourself with thoughts of him?" he asked genially.   
"Father, Voldemort-" even Lucius Malfoy flinched at the name-  
"wants me to take care of Potter. He sent Wormtail last nite to tell me. If I   
kill Harry Potter by the end of this year, then I'll be as honored as the   
Lestranges. If I don't, I'll be in the same state as Avery," he said uneasily.   
He let this sink in for a minute, then Lucius roared, "I'D LIKE TO SEE HIM   
TRY TO KILL MY SON! Narcissa! Get in here right now! We need to   
talk!"  
*  
Hermione Granger slowly ate her breakfast of bacon and eggs, A   
Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5 propped open in front of her.   
"Hermione, dear, why don't you call Harry or Ron and see how   
they're doing? See if they've been made prefects as well?" Hermione's   
mother tentatively asked. Nothing bothered Hermione more than being   
interrupted while she was reading.   
A surprisingly civil answer came from behind the book. "Sure, Mum.   
Just let me get this one spell down, then I'll go call them. OK?"  
"That's fine. I just think you three don't see enough of each other over   
the summer. Honestly, when I was young…" her voice trailed off as she   
started up the stairs.   
Hermione finished the sentence for her mother. "When you were   
young, Mum, you weren't a witch." She slowly and reluctantly got up and   
walked to the telephone. She punched in some numbers and held it to her ear   
expectantly.  
Ron was sitting on the bench in front of his house, his chin propped   
up in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees.   
"Cheer up, Ron. An owl probably just dropped it. I'm sure your letter   
will come soon," Fred tried once again to get a smile from Ron. Fred's,   
George's and Ginny's letters all had come, but Ron's was no where to be   
found.   
"I don't know what books I need, and I don't know if I'm a prefect or   
not! I want my letter!" As if he had finally been heard, an envelope made of   
parchment fell into his lap, followed by a phoenix, which then fluttered to   
his knee, clearly exhausted.   
"Fawkes? What are you doing here?" Ron asked incredulously.  
"I suggest you read the letter that looks like it came from Hogwarts. I   
told you it would come soon," Fred replied smugly.  
Ron ripped open the letter and unfolded the piece of parchment. He   
quickly scanned the page and a smile appeared on his lips, then it grew until   
he jumped up (forcing Fawkes, with an indignant squawk, to flutter to the   
chicken coop) and bellowed, "I'M A PREFECT!"   
Mrs. Weasley came bustling out of the house at Ron's words. "What   
was that, dear? There's a call for you from Hermione. Remember, don't yell.   
She can hear you," Mrs. Weasley reminded him. Ron grimaced at her before   
excaliming, "Mum, I'm a prefect!" "That's wonderful, dear. I-I never had   
any doubt, no, none at all," she chattered, clearly lying. "Love the support,   
Mum," Ron said, reaching for the phone.  
Meanwhile, Voldemort was pacing back and forth in the cemetery   
where he had murdered Cedric Diggory and attempted to kill Harry. "This   
boy is proving to be more of a nuisance than I thought, Wormtail. He is like   
a fly…a fly I am dearly longing to crush, but I haven't used the correct   
flyswatter. It is right there…so close I can brush my fingers against it, yet   
still out of reach," Voldemort mused.  
"I-I have an idea, Master," Wormtail tentatively volunteered.   
Voldemort whirled around and took two steps toward Wormtail. "What   
would that be, Wormtail?" Voldemort asked, his red eyes shining evilly.   
Wormtail gulped. "Well, he-he's very loyal to his friends. If we   
kidnapped one of them, then we could either hold them hostage as bait or put   
them under the Imperius Curse," Wormtail explained.   
Voldemort rubbed his chin. "Hmmm…I think you should go get your   
head examined, Wormtail. Something is definitely wrong when an   
intelligent idea comes from that brain of yours," Voldemort proclaimed.   
"Yes…I think I'll take the girl. Too many others might come if I took Arthur   
Weasley's son. His brothers or sister, for instance, and that's not what we   
want. And I believe I'll put her under the Imperius Curse and send her back   
to Hogwarts. She will be our link to Hogwarts, and when things start   
happening, no one will suspect her. She's one of those disgusting people   
who knows the answer to every question and is always on the top of the   
class…much like I used to be. Yes, Wormtail, something is wrong. This idea   
is the one. Harry Potter is mine…  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot of this story. The characters   
and all that belong to J.K. Rowling.   



	3. The New Girl

Part 3  
  
Finally, September 1st had arrived and the new fifth years were   
standing on Platform 9 ¾, waiting for the train to arrive.  
"What's taking it so long? It's never been late before!" Hermione   
exclaimed.  
They suddenly saw the train coming toward them, honking its horn   
and its light shining through the tunnel. Harry, Ron and Hermione loaded   
their luggage into their usual apartment, only to find it occupied by a girl   
they had never seen before. She had long black hair, bright green eyes and   
was middle height. She had a light dusting of freckles across her nose and   
the apples of her cheeks. She looked just as surprised to see them as they   
were to see her.  
"Oh! Hello," she greeted them in a soft Irish accent. "I'm Maria   
Canterburry. I'm a new transfer from Kinsale because my school there shut   
down. It was taken over by You-Know-Who. My parents wanted to send me   
to Hogwarts because they said it was safer. Oh dear, I believe I've been   
talking too much. Once you get me on a subject, I tend to ramble on. What   
are your names?"  
Harry, Ron and Hermione introduced themselves and they found out   
that Maria was a fifth year, just like them.   
"So, Maria, do you play Quidditch?" Harry asked interestedly.   
"Oh, yes! I mostly play Chaser, but I can also play Keeper," she   
replied, her eyes shining. "I love to fly more than anything else in the   
world."   
"Really? Me too! Maybe, if you're Sorted into Gryffindor, you could   
play Keeper for us! Our Keeper graduated," Harry explained.  
"Sorted?" Maria asked. Harry opened his mouth to explain it to her,   
but Hermione interrupted. "Page 137 in 'Hogwarts, A History.' Sorting is   
the process of dividing the new students into one of the four houses. The   
instrument used is called the Sorting Hat, formerly owned by Godric   
Gryffindor, one of the founders of the school. Each of the four founders,   
Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin and Rowena   
Ravenclaw valued different virtues. Gryffindor valued the brave, Ravenclaw   
the clever, Hufflepuff the loyal, and Slytherin the ambitious. While they   
were alive, they chose which children would go to each house, but they were   
worried about how children would be chosen after their deaths. Gryffindor   
was the one who thought of the way, and the four founder put their essence   
into the hat so it would know which child to send to each house." she said.   
Maria looked frankly shocked at Hermione's monologue, and seemed to   
have been rendered speechless. "Don't worry, she's always like that. She has   
that book memorized, as well as all the textbooks," Ron stage-whispered to   
Maria. "Oh. OK," Maria replied, but to Hermione or Ron, no one was sure.   
The witch who handled the food-cart came rattling into the car just   
then, and any thoughts of more conversation were squashed by the lure of   
Chocolate Frogs, Fizzing Whizbees and Cauldron Cakes.   
After eating most of their food, a voice crackled over the loudspeaker.   
"We are approaching Hogwarts, please gather your things and change into   
your robes. The four fifth-years pulled their robes over their heads and   
Harry, Ron and Hermione pinned their new, shiny silver badges on their   
robes. "Oh, what are they?" Maria asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.   
"Prefect badges," Ron said proudly. "Wow, you guys are lucky!" she   
exclaimed. After clambering off the train, the four got a carriage to   
themselves and it clanked up toward the school.   
Harry stared at Maria. There was something about her…something   
that he couldn't quite put his finger on, but a nagging suspicion told him that   
they shouldn't get too close to her.  
  
"Wormtail, there has been a change of plans," Voldemort proclaimed,   
striding into the cemetery. "Really? My Lord, what do you mean?"   
Wormtail asked. "That school in Kinsale that I now control held a young   
witch whose parents I want. The Canterburrys. Their daughter now goes to   
Hogwarts. Wormtail, I want the girl who is close to Harry, but get me the   
Canterburry girl, too. I will place both under the Imperius Curse, naturally.   
Just as Harry Potter was my supposed downfall, these two girls will bring   
my rise to world control."  
  
Maria fidgeted in line. All the other wizards and witches in line with   
her were at least a foot shorter than her, and she stuck out like a sore thumb.   
At last-"Canterburry, Maria!" She walked up to the stool and put the hat on   
her head where it fell down over her eyes. "Hmm. You're a tough one to   
decide. You have qualities of all four houses. Ambition, loyalty, bravery,   
intelligence. This is a rather tough one. I see you have friends in Gryffindor.   
Don't want to leave them, I see. Well, Ravenclaw really does suit you better,   
you know. Are you sure? All right-GRYFFINDOR!" the hat yelled to the   
Hall.   
Maria smiled, trembling, and walked over to the Gryffindor table. She   
plunked herself down in a seat beside Ron and a boy who looked like Ron.   
"Hullo. I'm George Weasley, and this is my brother Fred. If you ever need   
help, just ask us. We're very reliable," he said, smiling. "Thanks, that's very   
nice o-" she began, but Ron cut her off. "Maria, those two will send you in   
the opposite direction that you need to go. You don't trust them, and no   
matter what, don't eat any food they offer you!" Ron advised. Fred and   
George looked rather disappointed.   
Dumbledore stood up and said his usual words of welcome, then the food   
appeared magically on the platters. Maria, looking at the food, was suddenly   
ravenous. After everyone had filled themselves to bursting, Dumbledore sent   
them off to bed. Maria, Ron, Harry and Hermione walked up the stairs, full   
and very tired. Maria smiled sleepily. This wasn't so bad.   
"Maria? Are you coming?" Harry said. The other three had reached   
the top already. "Yeah, I'm coming. Go on ahead," she said. The three left.   
Maria continued up the stairs until she realized that her leg had gone through   
a step. "Hey! What's going on?" she cried. "Ron! Harry! Hermione?" she   
yelled, but her voice just echoed off the now empty halls. It seemed as if   
she'd be stuck here until morning. She propped her chin up on her hands and   
sighed. Maybe this Hogwarts thing would be tougher than she thought.   



	4. Draco's Task

Part 4  
  
Disclaimer: I own no one but Maria and the plot of this story. Don't sue me.   
I'm innocent, I tell you! Innocent!  
  
Ron sat up like a dart, awakened by a loud rapping. Groaning-what time was   
it? -He rolled out of his bed, and promptly fell onto the floor. He picked   
himself up, then staggered over to the window, where he saw a tawny owl   
hovering outside the window. He opened it and the owl fluttered inside. It   
landed on a bedpost and dropped the letter at Ron's feet. He picked it up, but   
it was addressed to Harry, Hermione and himself. He couldn't think of who   
would write to all three of them. He figured he would wait until they were   
all awake, then show them at breakfast. Now wide awake, he pulled his   
robes on and pinned his badge to them. He went down into the common   
room and out the portrait hole on his way to breakfast. Strolling down the   
hall, he heard heavy, even breathing. Walking quietly to the stairwell, he   
saw a huddled figure in black robes, curled up on a step. Walking carefully   
down, he prodded the person. The person's head snapped up, and their eyes   
opened. It was Maria. She looked up, her green eyes dull. "Ron! What time   
is it?" she asked, surprisingly alert. "It's 7:00. Why were you sleeping on the   
steps?" he asked, baffled. "THIS is why," she said. She lifted up her robes   
partly, and Ron could see that her leg was buried in a step. "Oh!" he said,   
then began to laugh. Maria waited until his chuckling subsided until asking,   
"D'you think you could help me? 'Tis uncomfortable!" she protested. "All   
right, all right," he picked her up and hauled her out of the step. In the   
process, however, he tripped backwards and landed with Maria on top of   
him, their faces just mere inches apart. "Oh! Well...thanks," Maria said   
awkwardly. "Just remember to jump that step from now on, OK?" Ron said,   
his face burning. They both got up and ran away, from their embarrassing   
encounter, from each other, Maria bound for the dormitories, Ron for the   
Dining Hall.   
  
Harry and Hermione were packing their bags for that day when Maria   
sprinted into the dormitories, out of breath and very red. "Hi! Hermione,   
where's our dormitory?" she asked. Wordlessly, Hermione pointed to the   
staircase. "Thanks!" Maria flew up the stairs. "What was that all about?"   
Harry asked. "I don't know. All I know is that she didn't come up to bed last   
night as far as I know. Unless she stayed down here until I was asleep and   
left before I was awake. I don't know," Hermione replied. Just then Maria   
came bounding back down the stairs in a fresh robe and her hair pulled into a   
long ponytail. "All right, then! Ready to go down to breakfast?" she asked   
brightly. "Sure, let's go," Harry said, following Hermione and Maria out of   
the portrait hole.   
  
The last thing, on Draco Malfoy's mind, however, was breakfast. He   
paced the Slytherin common room, around and around. His head snapped up   
and he stopped when he heard a rapping. A barn owl was tapping against the   
window. He let it in and it gave him the letter before taking flight again. He   
carefully opened the letter and read it.  
  
"Draco Malfoy. I have a task for you, far more important than the murder of   
Harry Potter. There is a girl in your school named Maria Canterburry. She is   
of great importance to me. It is imperative that she becomes mine. You are   
to lure her down to the edge of the Forbidden Forest at 8:00 PM one week   
from today. Make sure you are alone with her. You have your instructions."  
  
Draco paled. He knew whom it was from. The Dark Lord never saw it   
necessary to sign his letters. Plus, that Maria girl was a Gryffindor, and   
friendly with Potter. "Potions...Care of Magical Creatures..." he murmured   
to himself, trying to find times when he could earn Maria's trust. "This could   
take more than a week...but I'll have to make it work."  
  
"Hey, guys, I have to go pack my bag, OK? I'll meet you at Potions," Maria   
said, jumping up from the table and dashing off. "OK!" called Hermione.   
"Ron, do you know where she was last night?" Harry asked. "Yeah..." Ron   
said, suddenly blushing. "She got stuck in that trick step and spent the night   
there. But now that she's gone, I need to show you something," he said,   
pulling a piece of parchment from his robes. "It's a letter to us three." "Well,   
don't just sit there! Open it!" Hermione whispered, surreptitiously looking to   
see if anyone was watching. Ron opened it and read,  
  
"Harry, Ron and Hermione, there's something going on. Buckbeak can't   
stop rolling his eyes and prancing about, even I can't ride him. And the   
Wolfsbane Potion doesn't work on Remus anymore, I have to use the Full   
Body-Bind on him once a month. You three need to keep your ears and eyes   
open for anything strange going on. There's something else you need to   
know. There's a girl in your school named...  
Voldemort wants her parents, you need to...  
Watch out you three!  
  
Sirius"  
  
"Part of the note has been torn off. An accident?" Hermione asked. "Or   
someone doesn't want us to know who we need to keep safe," Harry said   
ominously.  
  
Maria was running down to the dungeons. Was she late? She suddenly   
skidded to a stop when a boy with white-blonde hair and a pale face stepped   
in front of her. "Hullo. Who might you be?" he asked. "I'm Maria   
Canterburry. I'm new here. Is this how you get to Potions?" she asked   
breathlessly. "It is. I'm Draco Malfoy. I've seen you've made friends with   
Potter, Weasley and Granger," he said conversationally, working to be   
pleasant. "I have, yes. They've been so nice," she said, smiling. "Well, we   
don't get along. They'll probably tell you how awful I am, but it's just   
because I was Sorted into Slytherin. The whole school discriminates against   
us," he said, sadly shaking his head a little. "Oh, that's awful! Well, I'm sure   
we can be friends," Maria said, putting a hand on his shoulder   
sympathetically. "Thanks. Would you like to walk to Potions together?" he   
asked, brightening. "Sure! Let's go!" Maria exclaimed. Outwards, Draco   
was nice and pleasant. Inwards, he was smirking and saying, "This is going   
to be like taking candy from a baby..."   
  
  
  
  



	5. The Plan

1 Chapter 5  
  
A/N- Sorry it took me so long! I've been crazily busy. Oh, and by the way, I've decided to make this R/H.  
  
Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing but the plot of this story and Maria. «sniff» Now I must go bawl in the corner at this admission.  
  
"Will you look at that," Hermione breathed, eyes wide in her face.  
  
"I never figured her as one of them," Ron added, clearly revolted.  
  
Harry said nothing. He just stood frozen in the stone doorway to the Potions classroom…stunned. He knew there was something about Maria that was wrong…and now he knew.  
  
Not one of them could believe what they were seeing. Happy-go-lucky Maria being friendly with…Slytherins. And of all the Slytherins she could have picked to be friends with, she had to go and pick Draco Malfoy?  
  
She suddenly turned and saw them. She smiled wider when she saw them, and waved exuberantly. "Hi!" she called. She seemed oblivious to their incredulous expressions.  
  
Draco turned, to see whom she was waving to. When his pale eyes met with Harry's emerald ones, his upper lip curled in disgust and his eyes acquired their usual malicious glint. "Hello, Potter. I see why you've made friends with Maria. She's such a nice girl," he said. Only someone who had been being ridiculed for four years by him would notice the mocking hint in his voice. Maria, however, didn't pick up this underlying disdain, and gestured for them to come over and join them.  
  
"Maria…could we, er, talk to you for a moment?" Harry said, taking hold of her upper arm and dragging her over to a corner before she could reply.  
  
"What, Harry?" Maria asked, perplexity shining clearly in her eyes.  
  
"Do you know who that is?" Harry replied, not really answering.  
  
"Of course. His name is Draco Malfoy, and he's a Slytherin. He's very nice," Maria replied.  
  
Ron gaped. "Nice? You think that Draco Malfoy is nice?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"Of course! He seems very charming," Maria answered.  
  
"Maria, you don't know him. We do. He's the farthest you can get from nice or charming," Hermione protested.  
  
"Yes, well, he said you'd say that. I think it's awful that you discriminate against the Slytherins!" Maria folded her arms indignantly.  
  
"Maria, please, listen to us. He hates Harry because Harry's famous, better at Quidditch, because he stopped You-Know-Who, and who knows why else. He makes fun of Ron because he says that he's poor. And he treats me with disgust because I'm Muggle-born. Oh, and did I mention that his father is right in You-Know-Who's inner circle?" Hermione ceased her tirade.  
  
"And you'd know because you've been there," Maria replied skeptically, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Well…" Harry began. "Actually, I have."  
  
Maria's eyes widened. "How…why?" she asked.  
  
"Long story, I'll tell you some other time. But you have to believe us. You don't want to associate with Draco Malfoy, or any of the other Slytherins. They're nothing but plain rotten," Harry finished.  
  
"Well…Draco's never done anything to me. Are you trying to tell me that I have to hate him just because you do? That's not fair!" she protested.  
  
"Maria. We're not ordering you to do anything…we're trying to warn you!" Ron threw up his hands.  
  
"Well, thanks. I'll keep it in mind," Maria replied, turning around and walking back to her seat next to Draco.  
  
"I don't believe that. She did not just do that," Ron said. He felt shocked. He had though Maria was all right, but now she was best buddies with Malfoy. It didn't make sense.  
  
Hermione put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and Ron flinched. He felt warm tingles travel from her hand down his arm. "It's all right, Ron. Draco won't be able to keep this nice act for long," she said reassuringly.  
  
"That's what I don't understand, though," Harry mused as they walked to their usual table and sat down, taking out their cauldrons and ingredients.  
  
"What's that?" Hermione asked, looking up from her copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi.  
  
"Why is Draco putting on a nice act for Maria? What does he want with her?" he asked. For once, Hermione didn't have an answer.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After Potions, which was extraordinarily uneventful (unless you count Neville melting another cauldron and Professor Snape banning him from class), Harry, Ron and Hermione were making their way to Charms, their next class, when a breathless Maria caught up to them.  
  
"I'm sorry for the way I acted in there. I just didn't like how you were telling me that I couldn't like someone because you didn't. You understand, don't you?" she asked anxiously. Without waiting for an answer, she rushed on. "Draco's nice to me. I'm sorry that he's not to you…I'll try to get him to leave you alone." Her green eyes were filled with worry, and she did look really sorry. Hermione's heart couldn't help but soften a bit.  
  
"Of course we understand," Hermione said quickly, before Harry or Ron could say something scathing. "Maybe Draco is different than we ever thought," she lied, ignoring Harry's snort and Ron's snickers.  
  
"All right…" Maria replied, with an unsure look at Harry and Ron. She began to walk with them, and when she spoke again, she was back to her normal self- hyper, a little anxious, and optimistic while still somehow managing to be slightly cynical at the same time.  
  
"So, we have Charms now, do we? What's Professor Flitwick like?" she asked, absentmindedly twirling her rosewood wand in her fingers.  
  
"Intelligent," Hermione replied.  
  
"Nice enough," Harry responded.  
  
"Small," Ron answered with a mischievously evil grin on his face.  
  
Hermione laughed. "You know, Ron, you look exactly like Fred and George when you do that."  
  
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.  
  
She chose not to answer. "Well, here we are. Come on, Maria, I'll introduce you to Professor Flitwick."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next day, the schedule was exactly the same, except they had Care of Magical Creatures rather than Potions. As Maria was packing her books, Harry noticed that she had a thick band of Spellotape wrapped around it. He grinned.  
  
"Maria, what's that you have on your book? Why is it taped?" he asked, somehow managing to suppress the laughs that threatened to burst out of his throat at any second.  
  
"Because it's possessed. It ran all over my bedroom, and it bit me. I was bitten by a book," she said, clearly remembering her experience. Harry wondered if it had been anything like his.  
  
"I guess it is possessed. Mine's fine," he said, drawing it out of his bag and holding it up for her to see.  
  
"Harry, stop being mean. Hagrid picked these books out, Maria…when you meet him, you'll understand why," Ginny Weasley had come downstairs unnoticed. She went over to Maria, gently tugged the book out of her hands and ripped off the Spellotape. She ran a gentle hand down the spine before the book realized it was free, and it fell open on her palm.  
  
"I have to pet the book?" Maria asked, her eyes incredulous.  
  
"Yeah. You have to know Hagrid to understand," Harry replied, rolling his eyes.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"So tonigh' fer homework, yeh hav' t'read up on the ways t'care fer puffskeins, all righ'? Class dismissed," Hagrid released them. Hagrid seemed a bit downcast through the whole lesson, probably because puffskeins didn't have claws or fangs.  
  
Maria was walking back up to the castle with Draco. "So I found out that I hadn't lost it at all!" he was saying, and Maria was laughing.  
  
"I'm still having a hard time with that picture," Harry admitted, watching them. "Why in the world is Draco being so nice to her? She's a Gryffindor, like us, and she's about as far from a Pansy as someone can be!"  
  
"Harry, remember Sirius' letter? It said we had to protect a girl in our school. What if Draco's being nice so she'll trust him, then he can just hand her to You-Know-Who?" Hermione cogitated.  
  
"She's right. That's probably it. Draco has no other reason to even associate with Maria," Ron agreed.  
  
"But is Draco evil enough to hand an innocent girl to Voldemort without a second thought?" Harry asked rhetorically, then answered his own question. "Yes. So we have to make sure that Draco's never alone with Maria. That shouldn't be too hard…I hope."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Wormtail, where is Nagini?" Voldemort's cold voice pierced the darkness.  
  
"Hunting, Master," Wormtail's treble wavered.  
  
"In one week, Wormtail, we will have the Canterburry girl. However, we are no closer to obtaining the Muggle that is close to Harry Potter," Voldemort mused, pacing. "I suppose that from your one brilliant idea, your brain is overloaded in trying to recuperate, so I will not ask you for ideas. Instead…" he grabbed Wormtail's left arm and pressed his index finger to the Dark Mark. Instantly, figures began to appear as they Apparated from their various locations to Voldemort's side. When they were all assembled, Voldemort spread his arms.  
  
"Friends, I am in anguish. I need a plan, and I seem to not be able to come up with an idea." He quickly explained his plan to them. A Death Eater stepped forward.  
  
"My Lord, I have an idea. It involves Wormtail and my son, Draco…" Lucius Malfoy's voice rang clearly through the cemetery.  
  
OK. I'm not fond of that chapter, but review and let me know what you think. Any ideas? That button has a purpose! 


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